1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an exposure display device in a camera having a metering device for measuring the brightness distribution of an object by means of a plurality of light-receiving elements and operationally processing the measured value and calculating a proper exposure value in accordance with the brightness distribution (such metering device will hereinafter be referred to as the multimetering device).
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a camera provided with a multimetering device using a plurality of light-receiving elements to effect metering while dividing the picture plane, a plurality of bits of brightness information are processed by a certain operation system and an operation result is displayed as a proper exposure value. Specifically, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 12828/1977 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 52419/1978 disclose the following technique. The maximum value Pmax and the minimum value Pmin of a plurality responding to the brightness distribution of an object are detected, and the difference Pmax--Pmin therebetween, Pmax+Pmin)/2 are operated. The difference Pmax--Pmin is compared with a standard value S by a comparing circuit and when Pmax--Pmin.ltoreq.S, the object is judged as one having a small brightness difference between various parts thereof, and when Pmax--Pmin&gt;S, the object is judged as one having a great brightness difference between various parts thereof. When Pmax--Pmin.ltoreq.S, the mean value Pmean of the plurality of metering outputs is emitted, and when Pmax--Pmin&gt;S, discrimination is effected between a white back (for example, an object having a great deal of light background like a figure under counter-light) and a black back (for example, an object having a great deal of dark background like a figure under spot light illumination), and the maximum value Pmax or the minimum value Pmin is emitted.
The discrimination between a white back and a black back is effected by comparing the mean value with the medium value (Pmax+Pmean)/2. That is, when the median value is greater than the mean value, many objects are generally dark and are therefore judged as a black back, and in the converse case, many objects are judged as a white back. In the case of a black back ((Pmax+Pmin)/2.gtoreq.Pmean), the maximum value Pmax is emitted, and in the case of a white back ((Pmax+Pmean)/2&lt;Pmean), the minimum value Pmin is emitted. The mean value Pmean, the maximum value Pmax and the minimum value Pmin provide the final proper exposure value which determines the exposure of the entire picture plane.
Heretofore, however, with respect to the object at which part of the picture plane and thus determined exposure has been adjusted could not be known until photography was completed and the film was developed. Accordingly, except in the case of very common photography, the photograph obtained was sometimes different from the intention of the photographer. Taking an extreme case as an example, when the photographer photographs the scene of the evening sun setting at the mountain top, the exposure naturally differs depending on whether the photographer wants to photograph the mountain as the main subject with the sky being white and over-exposed or the photographer wants to photograph the evening sun and clouds as the main subject with the mountain as a silhouette. However, on the camera side, a judgment having the photographer's subjective intention added thereto has been impossible and there has been left nothing but choosing an exposure adjusted to one of the cases by a predetermined procedure.